Wheel stop



July 16, 1963 s. w. HAYES 3,097,611

WHEEL STOP Filed Jan. 24, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 nvwszvroa jm/mvW HAVE;

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WHEEL STOP Filed Jan. 24, 1962 2 Swami-Sheet- 2 INVENT OR.

fm/LEY W. l /AYEj BY Wm, Kollmm, {Mme J l United States Patent 3,097,511 WHEEL STOP Stanley W. Hayes, Wayne Township, near Richmond,

Wayne County, Ind., assignor to Hayes Track Appliance Company, Richmond, Ind., a corporation of Indiana Filed Jan. 24, 1962, Ser. No. 168,336 Claims. (Cl. 104-258) The present invention is directed to a wheel stop and has for its primary object the provision of a wheel stop with new and improved means for locating and holding the stop in operative position upon a rail. The stop includes features disclosed and claimed in my copending application Serial No. 648,120, filed March 25, 19-57, assigned to the same assignee as this application and which matured into Patent No. 3,043,238, dated July 10, 1962, and in any copending application Serial No. 187,485, filed April 16, 1962, a division of the earlier filed application.

The invention is particularly adapted for use in a wheel stop of the type adapted to slide along the rail and having wheel engaging structure above the rail and thrust transmitting structure with portions extending below the base of the rail into abutting relationship with the ties and ballast. Wheel stops of this character with portions extending below the base of the rail and arranged to slide along the rail under car wheel impact provide a cushion stop for the car wheels because the force of the impact is transmitted to the ties and ballast.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved wheel stop having simplified means for properly holding it upon a rail.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved wheel stop having means for automatically clamping and locking the wheel stop on the rail upon setting of the stop on the rail.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved wheel stop having a simplified gravity actuated wedge type means for holding the stop slidably clamped relative to the rail.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a wheel stop of the character aforesaid in which the clamping means are constructed and arranged with means initially moving the clamping means into position below the rail head upon placement of the wheel stop upon the rails and, furthermore, in which the clamping means are constructed and arranged to swing free of the rail when the wedge means is moved away from the clamping elements.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a Wheel stop with new and improved clamping means.

In brief, the Wheel stop of the present invention includes wheel engaging abutment structure above the rail, such as a vertically disposed plate having at its forward end one or more wheel engaging abutments. It includes also thrust transmitting structure extending downwardly to engage the rail ties and ballast, thereby to provide the cushion type of operation referred to above. Stop locating means are provided whereby the stop is slidably clamped on the rail. This means includes opposed rail clamping elements including lower jaw portions adapted to be moved underneath the rail head. The clamping means include also additional portions adapted to be engaged by vertically slidable cam or wedge means mounted on the abutment structure and which, when the stop is positioned on the rail, moves downwardly under the influence of gravity to engage the clamping elements thereby to complete movement of the clamping means and to hold them in position slidably to hold the wheel stop upon the rail. In one embodiment of the invention, the clamping elements are somewhat circular in configuration and have guides adapted to engage the top surface of the rail head 3,097,611 Patented July 16., 1963 when the stop is placed upon the rail, whereby the guiding means move the clamping elements to positions substantially to embrace or clamp the opposite undersides of the rail head. The vertically slidable wedge means are mounted on the abutment structure so as to be moved by gravity to engage the clamping elements and prevent movement of them from the rail head embracing position while the wheel stop is placed upon the rail. The clamping elements are constructed and arranged to swing free of the rail head when the stop is removed from the rail. In another embodiment of the invention the wedge means is cooperatively associated with simplified clamping elements consisting of L-shaped generally vertically disposed members welded near their uppersides to shaft means extending parallel to the rails. The clamp jaws swing clear of the rail head when the wedge is removed and when the wedge is moved downwardly the jaws are moved to engage the rail head.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the ensuing description of an illustrative embodiment thereof, in the course of which reference is had to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a wheel stop constructed in accordance with the present invention and shown slidably clamped on a rail;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary transverse cross sectional view taken along the line 2-2 of FIG. 4 and illustrating the wheel stop installed upon the rail as in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 showing the clamping means in position ready to be installed upon the rail;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary side view of the clamping means along the line 44 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a side elevational view of another embodiment of the wheel stop;

FIG. 6 is a cross sectional view taken along the line 6-6 of FIG. 5; and

FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 6 showing the wheel stop above the rail ready for installation.

One embodiment of the wheel stop of the present invention is illustrated in FIG. 1 where it is indicated as a whole by reference character 10. It includes a wheel abutment structure constituted by a vertically disposed metal plate .12. The stop also includes thrust transmitting structure, indicated by the reference character 14, extending outwardly beyond opposite sides of the rail and downwardly to below the base of the rail at the rear of the wheel stop. Structure 14 abuts against one of the conventional rail ties such as the one indicated by reference numeral '16 in FIGS. 1 and 2.

The stop includes also the holding and guiding means 20 constituting the primary feature of the invention and including rail head clamping means, to be described hereinafter, engageable with the opposite undersides of the rail head slidably to hold the stop vertically upon the rail and to guide it therealong when it is moved under car wheel impact.

It should be understood that while only one stop has been illustrated, it is contemplated that two stops will be used in usual installation, one stop for each rail. The stops will also be arranged to abut against a single tie so that both stops will be simultaneously engaged by the wheels on the car.

The primary feature of the present invention, as already indicated, resides in the construction of the holding and guiding means 20. However, before describing it in detail it may be Well to describe the remainder of the stop in order to provide a better understanding of the invention. The abutment plate 12 may take various forms and is shown made from a single piece of metal plate having a thickness of about one inch. The forward edge of the abutment is constructed and arranged to provide two spaced apart abutments 24 and 26. the

former of which is the lower abutment and the latter the upper one. The lower abutment is at the front edge of the plate and the upper abutment 26 is somewhat to the rear and at the upper end of a higher rear portion 30 of the plate. The abutments are so located that a wheel will contact only the lower abutment 24 or both the lower and upper abutments 24 and 26.

The bottom of plate 12 is generally horizontal and seats upon the top of the rail. However, it is cut away at its rear for the reception of a horizontal base plate 32 extending some distance beyond the opposite sides of the rail head and secured to the abutment plate. Diverging downwardly and outwardly from underneath the base plates are the somewhat triangular brace plates 34 which are secured to the underside of plate 32. The rear ends of plates 32 and 34 abut against and are secured to a generally U-shaped rail straddling plate 36 which abuts against the tie 16 and having downwardly extending legs 37 through which the impact is transmitted to the tie. The plate 36 also abuts against and is secured to the generally vertical rear end 38 of the abutment plate 12.

The clamping and guiding means 20 will now be described. Actually, this means includes the opposed clamping elements 40 movably mounted at opposite sides of the rail head to engage opposite undersides 42 of the head of the rail 44. The clamping elements are pivotally mounted on the shafts 46 extending parallel to the rail and disposed generally in the horizontal plane of the rail head. The shafts may be fixedly secured to the abutment plate 12 by means of spaced transversely extending brackets 48, two at each side of the abutment. The braclcets have forward and vertically disposed edges 50 whereby they can be welded to the plate 30 and have downwardly extending portions 52 with edges 54 closely adjacent the sides of the rail head. The shafts 46 are secured to the portions 54 of the brackets. The rearmost brackets abut against and are secured to the forward edges of plates 32 and 34.

The clamping elements 40 are generally circular in configuration and periphery of each is cut away to pnovide a generally radial rail engaging surface 60 and a somewhat rounded surface 62 for cooperation with a vertical wedge, indicated as a whole by reference character 64, which is mounted for vertical movement upon the abutment plate 30.

Each of the clamping elements also has secured to it a fingerl-ike guide 66 which overlies the rail head when the stop is positioned on the rail. Prior to installation, as indicated in FIG. 3, the fingers also overlie the rail head so that, as the stop is placed upon the rail or lowered from the position of FIG. 3 to that of FIG. 2, the clamping elements 40 are rotated about the shaft 46 from the position of FIG. 3 to that of FIG. 2, in which they slidably hold the wheel stop on the rail.

The clamping elements are constructed and arranged so that they swing free of the rail head when the stop is removed from the rail and the wedge means is disposed above them, as shown in FIG. 3.

Properly to hold the clamping elements in installed position and to complete movement of the elements into this position, as shown in FIG. 2, the wedge means 64 moves downwardly under the influence of gravity between the surfaces 62 of the opposed clamping elements, thereby preventing movement of the clamping elements out of their rail head clamping positions.

The wedge means 64 includes a pair of wedge elements 70, one at each side of the rail and interconnected by the wedge handle 72 secured to the upper sides of the wedges 70 and passing through an aperture 74 in the abutment plate.

It is apparent from the foregoing detailed description of the present invention that the wheel stop can be constructed and fabricated readily from a plurality of structural elements and that it is simple to install upon, as well as to be removed from, the rail. Installation of the stop is accomplished by moving the wedge means 64 toward its uppermost position, where it generally is, it being then seated upon the outer surfaces of the clamping elements, as shown in FIG. 3. When the clamping elements 40 are in the FIG. 3 position, all that is necessary to install the wheel stop on the rail, is to lower the stop from the position of FIG. 3 to that of FIG. 2. When this is done, the clamping elements are moved into position by the guide means 66 and the wedge means drops down by gravity to the position of FIG. 2, thereby to complete movement of the clamping elements and to hold them in position.

To remove the stop, the wedge means is lifted following which the stop as a whole is lifted. When the stop is lifted the clamping elements are rotated by engagement of surfaces 60 with the undersides of the rail head from the position of FIG. 2 until the guide means are free of the rail head. Thereupon, gravity rotates the clamping elements to the FIG. 3 position, wherein they are additionally held by the wedge means seating on the outer peripheral surfaces of the clamping elements.

In operation, a car wheel may strike either the lower abutment or both the lower and upper abutments. The impact of the wheel is transmitted through the abutment plates and the plates 32, 34 and 36 to the rail supporting ties and ballast thereby to provide a cushion stop.

The embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIGS. 5 to 7 differs from that already described in the construction of the holding and clamping means. The wedge means remain the same but the clamping elements, indicated by the reference character 100, are generally L-shaped and each is welded to a shaft 102 extending horizontally of the rail and supported above a plate 104, which might be called a governor plate, having oppositely located openings 106 through which the clamping elements extend. The shafts 162 are movably supported on top of plate 104 in oppositely disposed pairs of brackets 108.

The clamping elements are constructed and arranged so that they swing free of the rail head when the stop is disposed away from the rail head as illustrated, for example, in FIG. 7. In order to install the stop on the rail the stop is simply placed on the rail and the wedge means is forced down between them as illustrated in FIG. 6 to move the jaws into engagement with the underside of the rail head thereby slidably to hold the stop on the rail head.

The remove the stop, the wedge means is lifted so that the clamping elements swing away from the rail head whereby the stop as a whole can readily be removed from the rail.

While the present invention has been described in connection with the details of illustrative embodiments, it should be understood that the details thereof are not intended to be limitative of the invention except insofar as set forth in the accompanying claims.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States is:

l. A wheel stop for installation upon a rail, including in combination, wheel abutment means adapted to be placed on a rail including structure located above the rail, means including rail clamping elements movably mounted upon opposite sides of the structure for movement between rail clamping and released positions, means including structure on said clamping elements engageable with the rail upon placement of the stop on the rail for effecting movement of the clamping elements to rail clamping position, and means including vertically movable wedge means mounted on the structure engageable with said clamping elements for maintaining the latter in their clamping positions.

2. A wheel stop for installation upon a rail, including in combination, wheel abutment means adapted to be placed on a rail including structure located above the rail, means including rail clamping elements movably mounted upon opposite sides of the structure for movement between rail clamping and released positions, means including structure on said clamping elements engageable with the rail upon placement of the stop on the rail for eifecting movement of the clamping elements toward rail clamping position, and vertically movable wedge means mounted on the structure for completing movement of and maintaining said clamping elements in clamping position.

3. A Wheel stop for installation upon a rail, including in combination, Wheel abutment means adapted to be placed on a rail and including an abutment plate seated upon and rising above the rail, means including rail clamping elements pivotally mounted upon opposite sides of the plate for movement transversely of the rail between rail clamping and released positions, means including guide means on each of said clamping elements engageable with the top of the rail upon placement of the stop on the rail for eifecting movement of the clamping elements toward rail clamping position, and gravity actuated vertically movable wedge means mounted on the abutment plate movable downward between the clamping elements after movement of the latter by said guide means maintaining said clamping elements in said clam-ping position.

4. A wheel stop as claimed in claim 3 wherein said clamping elements are constructed and arranged to be gravity actuated free of the rail head when the stop is removed from the trail and when the wedge means is moved from between the clamping elements.

5. A wheel stop as claimed in claim 4 wherein said wedge means is releasable to engage the clamping elements when free of the rail thereby additionally to hold them free of the rail.

6. A wheel stop for installation upon a rail, including in combination, wheel abutment means adapted to be placed on a rail including structure located above the rail, means including rail clamping elements at opposite sides of a rail movably mounted upon the structure for movement between rail clamping and released positions, means associated with said clamping elements and actuated upon placement 'of the stop on the tail for moving said clamping elements to rail clamping position, and gravity actuated means mounted on the structure and engageable with said clamping elements for maintaining said clamping elements in clamping position.

7. A wheel stop for installation upon a rail, including in combination, wheel abutment means adapted to be placed on a rail including structure located above the rail, means including rail clamping elements movably mounted upon opposite sides of the structure for movement between rail clamping and released positions and being gravity actuated toward released position, means including structure on said clamping elements engageable with the rail upon placement of the stop on the rail for effecting movement of the clamping elements to rail clamp ing position, and means including vertically movable wedge means mounted on the structure engageable with said clamping elements for maintaining the latter in their clamping positions.

8. A wheel stop as claimed in claim 10 wherein said clamping elements are of generally circular configuration.

9. A wheel stop as claimed in claim 10 wherein said clamping elements are generally L-shaped.

1-0. A wheel stop for installation upon a nail, including in combination, wheel abutment means adapted to be placed on a rail including structure located above the rail, means including rail clamping elements pivotally mounted upon opposite sides of the structure for movement between rail clamping and released positions and being gravity actuated toward released position, and means including vertically movable wedge means mounted on the structure engageable with said clamping elements and gravity actuated downwardly for maintaining the latter in their clamping positions.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,104,528 Melville July 21, 1914 

1. A WHEEL STOP FOR INSTALLATION UPON A RAIL, INCLUDING IN COMBINATION, WHEEL ABUTMENT MEANS ADAPTED TO BE PLACED ON A RAIL INCLUDING STRUCTURE LOCATED ABOVE THE RAIL, MEANS INCLUDING RAIL CLAMPING ELEMENTS MOVABLY MOUNTED UPON OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE STRUCTURE FOR MOVEMENT BETWEEN RAIL CLAMPING AND RELEASED POSITIONS, MEANS INCLUDING STRUCTURE ON SAID CLAMPING ELEMENT ENGAGEABLE WITH THE RAIL UPON PLACEMENT OF THE STOP ON THE RAIL FOR EFFECTING MOVEMENT OF THE CLAMPING ELEMENT TO RAIL CLAMPING POSITION, AND MEANS INCLUDING VERTICALLY MOVABLE WEDGE MEANS MOUNTED ON THE STRUCTURE ENGAGEABLE WITH SAID CLAMPING ELEMENTS FOR MAINTAING THE LATTER IN THEIR CLAMPING POSITIONS. 